


Once Upon Another Time

by newsiesgirllaces



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-09 14:38:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newsiesgirllaces/pseuds/newsiesgirllaces
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dick Grayson gets a new neighbor, he finds the girl a bit different than most people in Bludhaven. She's wild, witty, and friendly, but Dick can't help to think that something's up. Why did she seem so accustomed with moving around? Why was there hardly any information about her anywhere? And how did she know Jason Todd?<br/>I got inspired to write this after listening to Sara Bareilles' song: Once Upon Another time.<br/>This is not a Dick/OC story</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chpt.1  
“What to pack. What to pack. What to pack.” She mumbled as she scanned her eyes over her home. Papers, maps, and various types of books were strewn on the floor and on tattered furniture. Her thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang and she picked it up.  
“Hello?”  
 _“Get out of there soon. They’re coming.”_  
“Thanks hon.” She smiled then hung up. Her emerald eyes went back to her haphazard home.  
“What to leave.” She grumbled.  
~*~*~*~*~Two Weeks Later~*~*~*~*~  
“This is so booooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiinnnnnnnnggggggg.” Dick groaned as he slouched in his car seat. He finished the book he was reading, his phone was dead from playing angry birds too much, and the city was slow. There was virtually no crime going on.   
“Isn’t Blüdhaven supposed to be as full of crime and villainy as Gotham?” he questioned with a grumble.   
_“Calling all units. Robbery in progress at the Jewelry store on ninth street.”_ The police radio stated and Dick smiled.  
Before he could radio back, someone else beat him to it.  
 _“Squad Car Seven reporting. I’m right around the corner. Be there in a minute.”_ The other officer stated, and Dick slouched in his seat again.  
He was too far away to even suggest being back-up.   
_At least when I’m Nightwing I can roof jump when I’m bored._ Dick thought as he twiddled his thumb and kicked his busted song radio.  
“I can’t even listen to music.” He whined.   
Dick remembered when he was a kid. He remembered thinking that driving a cop car would be the coolest thing in the world, going on high speed chases and playing around with the lights and siren.   
However, as a kid he never imagined the downtime. The grueling _boring_ downtime.  
Once his shift was over, he wanted to throw a party. Being confined in car all night was _not_ his idea of fun.   
Once he clocked out of work, Dick changed into his Nightwing suit to stretch his legs and look for some action.  
However, he was met with no crimes.  
“This is the quietest Blüdhaven has been since I got here. Not even a purse snatching.” He frowned.   
Dick made his way back to his apartment and stripped himself of his costume once he made it into his bedroom. He squinted his eyes to read the clock on his nightstand.  
6:32 AM  
“Good thing I have nowhere to be.” He mumbled, then passed out in his bed.   
Dick had a strange sleeping pattern.  
Sometimes, he was an extremely light sleeper, waking up due to the smallest creak in the floorboards, something he thinks Bruce instilled in him. Other times, he was an extremely heavy sleeper. A bomb could go off, and he could sleep through it.   
Sometimes it was a mixture of both heavy and light sleep.   
So, when someone knocked at the door at 12:21, Dick was in one of his heavy sleep states, rendering him the equivalent of a dead corps.   
However, when they knocked again later, Dick woke up startled and glanced at the clock.  
3:13 PM.   
“I’ll be right there!” Dick exclaimed as he stumbled around his room, throwing on some jeans and a t-shirt that were lying around.   
Dick flung the door open, and standing right in front of him was a young woman, looking at him like he was crazy. Most likely because he did look crazy.   
His hair was fluffed up on one side due to sleeping on it, the jeans had some blood stains on them due to him wearing them on an undercover case, and the t-shirt was way too small for him because it was Tim’s.   
She looked better put together, but was different from most girls he had seen around Blüdhaven. Her skin was tan with some sun burn on her nose and cheeks. She wore a baggy sweatshirt with the word SHIPBURG written on it and some tight fitting jeans. On her feet were cowgirl boots. Her long brown hair had red stripes died into it and was tied up into a messy bun.  
“Um… hello.” She stated, giving him a small smile.  
“Hi.” Dick grinned. “Sorry about the appearance, I just woke up.” He shrugged as he played with his hair a bit.  
“You just woke up at three in the afternoon?” she inquired, raising an eyebrow.   
“Yes.” Dick nodded. “So… are you selling cookies or something?” he inquired, and the girl rolled her emerald eyes.   
“No, I’m just the new neighbor.” She extended her small hand to shake.   
“Ruari. Ruari Eve Whelan, but just Ruari is fine.” she informed as Dick shook her hand. He noted that her hand felt dry and coarse, unlike most girls whose hands were soft.   
“I live in that apartment there.” She pointed to the door across from his. “I tried introducing myself earlier, but you didn’t answer. I assume you were asleep.”   
“Yeah.” Dick shrugged, chuckling nervously.   
“I made this for you.” Ruari said as she handed something wrapped in tin foil over to Dick. “It’s Friendship bread. I make some every time I move and give them to the neighbors to show a hand in friendship.” She then shook her head. “I gave a loaf to the guy downstairs. He then threw it back at me along with a pot.” Dick sighed and said,  
“Mr. Smith doesn’t like people all that much.”  
“Yeah, I figured that out.” Ruari chuckled.   
Dick smiled at her and then looked down at the bread.  
“There’s nothing in here, right?”  
“Well, there is some weed and a smidge of meth. If you crumble the bread up you can snort it.” she laughed, and Dick looked at her, confused if she was telling the truth or just kidding. Ruari sensed Dick’s confusion and her teasing eyes softened.  
“I’m only joking. There’s some chocolate chips, vanilla, eggs, stuff like that.”   
“Thanks. I knew you were kidding about the weed stuff.”  
“Sure you did.” Ruari chuckled. “By the way, what’s your name?”  
“Dick Grayson.” He informed, and Ruari giggled.   
“Dick Grayson, huh?” she questioned with a smirk on her face. “ _Dick_ Grayson.”  
“People stopped being immature about my name once middle school ended.”  
“Sorry, I guess I’m a bit childish.” She smirked. “Anyway, it was nice to meet you Mr. Grayson.” She said as she made her way back to her apartment.   
“Y’know, when I’m on duty it’s Officer Grayson.” Dick informed.   
“Well shit. Good thing I decided to leave the crack out of your friendship bread.” She laughed, then disappeared behind her door.   
That was the first time Dick met Ruari. And he didn’t run into her again until the next week.


	2. Chapter 2

Chpt.2  
“I just wanted to go to the grocery store.” Ruari murmured to herself as she sprinted down the street.   
“Don’t worry babe! Stop running!” one of the men exclaimed from behind her. Another shouted,  
“We won’t hurt you!”  
When Ruari didn’t slow down another man exclaimed,  
“You can’t keep running forever! No matter where you go we’ll find you!”   
_I can always run._ Ruari thought. _Running is what I do. And there will be a time when I outrun all of them and then I’ll be… free_. She thought as she turned several corners, then finally lost the men.  
“Guess I should just keep going and head to the grocery store.” She shrugged as she contently walked off, trying to calm her erratic heart rate.  
~*~*~*~*~*~Later~*~*~*~*~*~   
Dick sat in his chair eating some cereal contently as he hummed to some music. The clock read 2 o’clock in the afternoon, but Dick could eat cereal at any time of the day. It was relatively quiet, which most likely meant that the new neighbor, Ruari, wasn’t home.   
He had yet to see the girl in a week, however he certainly heard her.  
She would sing at the top of her lungs and the entire building could hear her. The singing was decent, but it was _loud._   
Nobody had complaints about her singing except for Mr. Smith, who would angrily swear in German.   
Despite Mr. Smith’s loud cursing, Ruari would continue to sing no matter what. Sometimes, if Dick knew the song, he’d sing along.   
However, his voice was much less easy on the ears, and when he’d join in a duet with Ruari, Mrs. Norman would often shout,  
“Shut it, Grayson!” which Ruari would reply for him with a shout from her room,  
“Keep going Officer! You can’t be stopped for rocking out!”   
Despite having some singing duets, Dick hadn’t talked much to the girl either.   
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang and a mumble of several swear words.   
Dick opened his door to look into the hallway. There Ruari stood, holding a plastic bag while about five other plastic bags were on the floor, some of the contents rolling out.  
“I saved the eggs.” She smiled as she held up the one bag she managed to save.  
“Do you need any help with this stuff?”  
“That would be fantastic.” She grinned. It was clear that she went grocery shopping, and the bags were full of fruits, and vegetables, and some random herbs and spices.   
Dick started looping the grocery bags in his hands while Ruari did the same. Dick could see why she dropped them in the first place. Her hands were so small and she bought a large amount of food.   
_It must be difficult to carry things with those hands… it’s impressive that she managed to get this far._ He thought.  
Ruari opened the door and walked into her apartment with Dick following behind, carrying several bags.   
“Just put it on the kitchen counter.” She instructed and she plopped the bags she had on the wooden counter in the kitchen. Dick followed in suit, then got a really good look at the place.   
The walls were a bright yellow color that took his eyes several moments to adjust to. On the floor were scattered notebooks, novels, papers, and maps. There was a small table with a laptop plugged in and a red beat up two person couch in front of it. the entire apartment seemed to have an aroma of cinnamon.   
“Sorry it’s a bit of a mess.” Ruari stated, realizing that Dick was examining her place. “I promise Officer, I’m not hiding any marijuana here.” She chuckled as she started to put her groceries away.  
Unlike the living room, the Kitchen was very clean, but Dick found out why the moment Ruari opened the refrigerator and cabinets.   
She hardly had anything in there.   
“So… do you need help with anything else?” Dick inquired and Ruari shrugged.  
“Not really. Thanks for helping me with the bags though.” She grinned.   
“I’ll head out then.” He stated as he headed towards the door, but Ruari’s voice stopped him.  
“Why don’t you stay? I’m making some steak and I know for a fact that I’ll have a lot of left overs. It’s a good cut too.” She smiled.   
It had been awhile since Dick had eaten a homemade dinner other than cereal and pancakes. Alfred hadn’t cooked him anything in about a month either, since he hadn’t visited Bruce for a while.   
“As long as it’s not much trouble.”  
“None at all.” Ruari smiled. “Make yourself at home on the couch. If there’s any paperwork there just put it on the ground. I’ll get to it eventually. I don’t have a television yet, but I got a radio, so you can jam out to some tunes.”   
“Jam out to some tunes, huh?” Dick laughed and Ruari shot him a playful glare.  
“Yeah yeah. People tell me I speak weird. Gotta deal with it.” she then pointed to the radio. “Now turn up the music.”   
Dick obeyed, hitting the power button and smiled as Barbra Ann started to play.   
“Ah, ba ba ba ba barbara ann  
Ba ba ba ba barbara ann”  
Ruari started to sing from the kitchen,  
“Oh barbara ann, take my hand  
Barbara ann  
You got me rockin and a-rollin  
Rockin and a-reelin  
Barbara ann ba ba  
Ba barbara ann.”   
Dick then followed in suit and started to sing as well with Ruari,  
The two sang to every song that the radio played, but Dick couldn’t help but look at some of the papers on the floor while he sung.   
One map had several places circled. Sedona Arizona, Chicago, New York City, Hollywood, Philadelphia, Dallas Texas, and then Blüdhaven.   
_Did she travel to all these places?_ He wondered. _And why? Does she like traveling?_   
As the time passed, Ruari placed the steak in her oven, then collapsed next to Dick on the couch with an air of familiarity, as if they had been friends for years.   
“It’ll take some time for the steak to bake.” She informed as she yanked off her sweatshirt and let it drop to the floor. She was wearing a tie dye t-shirt underneath. Her arms were covered in dark lines of what appeared to be Celtic symbols.  
“Are those tattoos?” Dick inquired.  
“Tattoos?” Ruari looked perplexed for a moment, but then followed the gaze that Dick had on her arm. “Oh, no. That’s Henna. Tattoos are waaaaay to permanent. I like to change things up, ya know?”   
“What is Henna?” Dick questioned, never hearing of the stuff before.  
“It’s a paste that temporarily stains your skin. It’s a lot of fun to do.” She smiled. “If I could make a living off of doing Henna, I would.”   
Dick still looked confused and Ruari giggled a bit.   
“Henna is like those fruit rollup tattoos that you could put on yourself after licking them.” She explained and the confusion left Dick’s face as he chuckled.  
“I loved those things.”  
“Ditto.” Ruari laughed as she tapped her foot to Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead or Alive.   
“So, Ruari, what exactly do you do?” Dick inquired. Ruari’s calm expression turned into a look of slight panic and her body tensed.   
“What do you mean?” she questioned uneasily.  
“I mean, what do you do for a living?” Dick reiterated but wondered what exactly was going on with her.  
Ruari relaxed and flashed him a smile.  
“Oh, I thought you meant something else for a second. I’m a writer. I write stuff.” She shrugged. Just then, the timer went off and she took out the steak.   
The rest of Dick’s visit was spent with small talk, eating, and, of course, loud singing that made the neighbors threaten to call the cops.  
“Thanks for the meal.” Dick grinned once he walked toward the door.  
“No prob, Officer. Thanks for the company.” Ruari grinned back. “Drop by anytime you like.”  
Dick walked across the hall, back to his apartment.  
He enjoyed the time he spent with Ruari, but he couldn’t help but wonder why she acted strangely when he asked her what she did. He also wanted to know why she had all those places on the map circled.  
But at the moment, he forgot about it and suited up for work.


	4. Chapter 4

Chpt.3  
“C’mon, ten dollars for a lamp?” Ruari argued, looking at the beaten up lamp with fading paint on the counter. “This shit is worth three.”   
“Ten dollars.” The woman at the thrift store stated firmly. She had a no nonsense look about her and graying brown hair. However, Ruari was able to haggle her way out of many prices.  
“Three.”  
“Ten.”  
“Three.”  
“Eight.”  
“Three.”  
“Eight.”  
“Four.”  
“Seven.”  
“Five.”  
“Alright five.” The woman groaned, and Ruari pumped her fists in the air in excitement, then placed a five dollar bill on the counter.   
“Anything else you want to haggle for?” the woman inquired her tone holding some annoyance but some respect as well. Ruari shook her head.  
“Nah. I just really needed a lamp for my bedroom. Blüdhaven doesn’t have many sunny days, does it?”  
“No.” The woman shrugged, used to the typical gray skies of the city.  
“It’s so different from Arizona. I gotta be careful or it’ll suck the life outta me.” Ruari muttered, talking more to herself than to the woman.   
“Sweetie, you want life, go down to thirtieth street. Not the nicest neighborhood, but it’s got nice party places.” The woman grinned with a mischievous look in her eyes. “I think a young woman like yourself would enjoy it.”  
“Thanks. I’ll remember that.”   
Ruari left the thrift shop with a lamp in tow.  
“Maybe I’ll check out that place the woman was talking about tomorrow.” Ruari said to herself with a smile. “It’s been awhile since I’ve partied, and I’m 24. I have every right to dance the night away.”   
She walked with a small jump in her step, feeling giddy and excited. It didn’t help that before she went to the thrift store she stopped at a bar. Granted, she only had one drink, but for Ruari a small drink often made her happy.   
“I would recognize that wild hair anywhere.” A voice chuckled from behind her, and Ruari turned around to see a man wearing a comfortable leather jacket along with a white t-shirt and some beaten up jeans.   
Ruari smiled at the site of the man.  
“Hey Jay. It’s been awhile. What brings you here?” she inquired and the man shrugged.  
“I just thought I’d give my brother a visit.” He informed, then took in the site in front of him. “How about you let me help you with that lamp. Looks a bit heavy.” Before Ruari could debate, the man was lifting it up and out of her hands.   
“I’ll walk you home. Dangerous around here and all that.” He chuckled.  
“Well thank God I have a nice strong gentleman like you to protect lil’ ol’ me.” Ruari giggled. “Anyway, how’ve you been? Last time I saw you, you were shoving me into an airplane with a giant black eye plastered on that pretty face of yours.”   
“I’ve been alright.” The man shrugged. “You punch hard though. I had that black eye for a while.”  
“Sorry.” Ruari sighed. “I thought you were…” there was a loud gunshot, shattering the lamp and the man pinned Ruari to the ground, trying to protect her.  
“Just like old times, huh?” the man chuckled as he helped Ruari get back up once he thought that the bullet might have been a stray. However, several men came running at the two, shooting mainly at the man rather than Ruari.   
“Yup. I started to miss the feeling of bullets grazing my hair.” She smirked as she started to sprint and the man followed afterwards, trying to outrun their attackers.   
“So, after we ditch these losers, ya think I could come over to your apartment for a little something to eat? I’m a bit hungry.” The man stated as they continued to run.  
“I could make either chicken and string beans or some pancakes and have a breakfast for dinner kinda thing.” Ruari informed as she turned a corner.   
“Mmmm. I could go for some pancakes. D’you think I could get mine with a small kiss?” he chuckled, shooting the girl a smile and Ruari returned the laughter and smile.  
“You know me better than that, Jason Todd.”   
~*~*~*~*~*~Later~*~*~*~*~*~  
“Really?” Dick questioned with his arms crossed, unamused. “You guys are _seriously_ robbing a bank? You do know how over done that is, right?”   
Once the shock of actually seeing _the_ Nightwing passed, the burglars raised their guns and started shooting.   
Dick was able to dodge the bullets with ease. He’d been dodging bullets for years so this was nothing new.  
Under a matter of minutes, Dick had the men in handcuffs, ready for his fellow officers to pick up.   
He then jumped onto the nearest rooftop and watched the men get dragged into police cars while he ate some rocky road ice cream that he purchased at the nearby corner store.   
Dick smiled in content as he continued to munch on the ice cream. He loved this. He loved the smell of the city and the cool feeling of the building underneath his Kevlar suit. He also loved doing this. Stopping bank robberies, making sure that everything was alright, he just loved it all. He also loved rocky road ice cream, which was quickly melting, making him scrape at the carton faster.   
“You lost her!” he heard an angry voice growl from an alleyway that was next to the building he was sitting on.  
“Sorry boss. She’s quick.” The one man sighed. “she was there one moment, turned a corner, then gone.”  
“Plus she had that guy helpin’ her.”  
“Don’t she make a living running or something?” another man inquired.  
“She does not make a living running, but she is very good at it.” the other man grumbled. “Gustav isn’t going to be happy we lost her. Apparently some of his people in Tombstone just missed her.”   
“We’ll get her boss. She can’t hide from us forever.”   
“I hope you’re right. Gustav’s getting restless.” The man mumbled.   
“What now?”  
“We keep looking for her, dumb-ass.” The man stated as he slapped the other upside the head, and the four men split up.  
 _Now who are they looking for?_ Dick wondered, and trailed one of the men. He didn’t know what was going on or who the men were looking for, but Dick had a feeling that they weren’t up to anything good.


	5. Chapter 5

Chpt.4  
“Y’know, I missed your cooking.” Jason informed as he finished his second helping of pancakes followed shortly after by a low burp. “Mind if I get another plate?”   
“I don’t mind, but where the hell do you put it all? I mean sure, you’re a big guy, but you already must’ve eaten your weight in pancakes.” Ruari shook her head, looking at her friend in bafflement.   
Jason chuckled as he patted his stomach.  
“I think I have a hallow leg.” He said proudly.   
“Lucky.” Ruari smiled as she handed him another plate of pancakes. “I get full too easily. I should check out if something’s wrong with me.”   
Ruari found it a bit ironic how she loved cooking, but always ended up eating very small portions of what she concocted.   
“I know what’s wrong with you. You’re stressed. If I were you, I’d be too.” Jason shrugged. “I suggest moving to another place besides America. It’ll be harder for you to be found. Ever try Japan?”  
“Yup. And Germany and Italy and Ireland and Australia. It was more expensive and they found me anyway.” Ruari sighed as she grabbed her laptop and started to type.   
“Do you think there will ever be a time when you’ll stop having to run?” Jason questioned in a serious tone, his eyes staring into Ruari’s. She looked down at the computer screen and her fingers typed quickly.  
“I used to think that one day everything would just go away. That I’d jump into a car and drive wherever the hell I wanted without a care in the world.” The girl sighed heavily. “Now I think I’ll be on the run until I die naturally or they kill me.” Jason didn’t like the thought of her dying and shot her a playful smile.  
“Please, they wouldn’t kill you. They just want to capture you.” Jason informed honestly, his smile unwavering, but she remained silent and serious. “Hey, Ruari?”  
The girl looked up at Jason, and he grinned, giving her a comforting look.  
“You’ll get out of this. It’ll all turn out.”   
Jason wasn’t good at giving words of encouragement, but Ruari was an old friend, and when she didn’t have that goofy smile of hers plastered on her face, something was wrong. Jason also blamed himself for bringing up the subject of her running away.  
“Thanks Jay.” Ruari said with her small grin returning to her face. Jason tried to turn the conversation to something lighter.   
“I read one of your more recent books, by the way.” Jason informed proudly. “It was good. You certainly have a way with words.”  
“Thanks. I’m working on another one right now.” She stated as she continued typing.   
Jason stood from his chair and walked over to Ruari. He leaned on the girl’s shoulder, and she seemed to not mind. When with friends, Ruari’s personal space bubble was practically nonexistent.   
“Y’know, you’re one character, Justin, sounded awful familiar.” He smirked. “Handsome, strong, someone who can save the day. I wonder what inspired you to write a story with him in it.” Jason laid a brief kiss on Ruari’s cheek causing her to chuckle.   
“I get inspiration from people I meet.” She informed with a small shrug. “My current story features a character based on my neighbor from across the hall.”   
“Huh. What’s he like?” Jason questioned, frowning how his kiss didn’t evoke the reaction he wanted.   
“He’s funny. He likes to sing, but he’s not very good at it.”  
“The guy have a name?” Ruari giggled a bit, then took a break from typing to rub her temples.  
Jason could see how tense she was and started to rub her shoulders from his position behind her. She was able to hide her stress well, but Jason could feel the knots in her back as he continued massaging her.   
“Honestly I don’t remember it. I think it started with a D… or a G… or something. I’ve just been calling him Officer since he’s a cop.”   
“You can’t remember his name?” Jason questioned with a laugh. “Seriously? You can remember almost every little detail of something, but you can’t remember the guy’s name?”   
“It’s just lost to me.” Ruari admitted honestly.   
Jason chuckled, then placed another kiss on Ruari’s cheek as he continued to rub her shoulders.   
“Ruari, I was hoping that maybe you could give me more than just some food tonight.” He whispered in her ear then nibbled at her earlobe.  
“I know Jay, I picked up your hints, I was just hoping you knew that I was ignoring them.”   
“Why not?” Jason pouted. “Nothing serious. Just a little fun. You know I don’t disappoint.”   
“Yes, I know you don’t.” Ruari chuckled. “But not tonight.” She grabbed his one hand and kissed his knuckle. “You understand, right?”   
“Guess so.” Jason shrugged as he returned to his seat, but he did smile due to the kiss. “But can I still spend the night? Your apartment is a lot more welcoming than the creepy motels they have here.”  
“What about your brother?”  
“I honestly have no idea where he lives, and I can give him a call tomorrow.” Jason said nonchalantly. “So, can I stay?”   
“Sure thing, Jay.” She grinned.  
~*~*~*~*~*~Elsewhere~*~*~*~*~*~  
Once the man he was trailing gave up, so did Dick. Whoever the men were looking for wasn’t going to be found that night.   
Dick decided to head home and get some sleep. He hadn’t gotten much rest the night before and figured that he could use some extra sleep.  
Stripping and then getting into something more comfortable, Dick slugged around his apartment in a pair of loose sweatpants.   
“Jason! Stop!” he could hear a muffled voice coming from Ruari’s apartment.  
 _Was that Ruari?_ Dick wondered, then heard the voice again.  
“Jason! Stop! Please!”  
“I’ll keep this up all night!” laughed a man’s voice.  
The statement made Dick jump into action and he ran to Ruari’s apartment. Using the spare key that he saw Ruari hide under her doormat, Dick swiftly opened the door.  
He was expecting to find Ruari being attacked by some malicious man and Dick fully intended on rescuing her.   
However, what he saw instead was Ruari being pinned down on the couch by his   
“brother”. She was fully clothed and her face was red from _laughter._ Jason had been tickling her.   
Questions buzzed in Dick’s head, but he couldn’t verbalize any of his thoughts. All he did was stand in front of the two with a dumbstruck look on his face.   
“Sorry for any disturbance, Officer.” Ruari informed from her position on the couch like it was the most natural thing to walk in on.   
“Dick?” Jason questioned.   
“You know each other?” Ruari inquired, looking from Dick to Jason. Both looked surprised to see one another.   
“He’s my brother.” Jason informed. Dick shook his head while he stared at the two. He had to ask,  
“What is even going on here?”


	6. Chapter 6

Chpt.5  
“You _shot_ at her?!?” grey eyes glared at the man who was in charge of the group looking for Ruari in Blüdhaven.  
“Mr. Gustav, it was not exactly _at_ her, but at the man she was with.”  
“What did I hire you to do, Mr. Samuels?” Gustav questioned in a condescending tone, but Samuels didn’t dare talk to the man with equal disrespect.  
“To gather a group and hunt down Ruari Eve Whelan, Sir.” Samuels nodded seriously.  
“Not _hunt_ down, but _catch_.” Gustav corrected and Samuels sighed.  
“Yes, sir.”  
“She is _valuable_ and I do not like the fact that she could have been shot. I don’t care if you were aiming at someone else. If the girl dies then it makes things much more complicated.”  
“I understand sir. But you cannot comprehend how fast she is. And she knows the city streets better than my men, most of whom grew up on those very streets.”  
“Oh, I understand exactly, Mr. Samuels.” Gustav grunted. “I’ve been tracking Ms. Whelan for years. She has an unbelievable talent of _just_ slipping through my fingers.”  
Samuels raised an eyebrow.  
“Excuse my asking, but what makes her so important?”  
“When you agreed to work for me, you also agreed to asking no questions.” Gustav stated. “Now get back out on the streets and capture Ms. Whelan for me.”  
~*~*~*~*~*~Elsewhere~*~*~*~*~*~  
“How did you two even meet?” Dick questioned. He sat cross legged on the ground with Jason sitting next to him, while on the ground on the other side of the small table sat Ruari.  
“It’s a long story.” Jason grunted.  
“He was a stripper.” Ruari stated with a smirk. Dick raised his eyebrows, looking over at little brother.  
“I was undercover.” Jason reiterated.  
“As a stripper.” Ruari added again, still smiling.  
“You went undercover as a stripper?” Dick questioned. Part of him could not see Jason dancing for screaming girls, yet another part of him felt like it was a perfect job for his “brother.”  
“Sacrifices had to be made.” Jason said, crossing his arms.  
“You enjoyed it.” Ruari’s smirk grew wider.  
“That’s beside the point.” Jason sighed. “And you had no idea some of the items that were shoved down my pants.” He shuttered at the memory. “Anyway, I met up with Ruari and we became friends. The end.”  
“That’s it?” Dick questioned. “You two met because he was a stripper you hit it off and then parted ways?”  
“Well…” Jason began, but Ruari quickly shot him a glare and stated,  
“Yes. That is it.”  
“Ruari, you can tell Dick. He’s a stereotypically goody two shoes and has a lot of resources. He could help.” Jason said, and Dick was confused but also shocked that Jason’s tone held care.  
He knew that Jason never expressed much care to people. He was often detached, even to his family. However with Ruari, he was different. He was comfortable and caring, which was surprising to Dick.  
“No. when people know about me, they get hurt. You almost got shot today because of me.” Ruari sighed, her smile disappearing.  
“ _What_?” Dick questioned, wide eyed, looking at Ruari then at Jason. _What is going on with this girl?_  
“Journey, I get shot at all the time.” Jason stated with a lighthearted laugh.  
 _Journey?_ Dick thought in confusion.  
“Don’t ‘Journey’ me, Jason! No! Now let’s just forget we ever mentioned this, or so help me God, I’m not letting you stay here!” she exclaimed, crossing her arms.  
“You can always stay at my place.” Dick informed, hoping that Jason would take the offer and pressure Ruari into talking more, but Jason shook his head.  
“And eat _what_? Cereal and Ice Cream?” Dick was silent for a moment, then questioned,  
“What’s wrong with that?”  
“Forget everything, Dick. I prefer to eat.”  
 _I’ll find out what she was talking about. _Dick thought. However, another thought entered his mind.__  
“Uh… where is Jason sleeping?”  
“My bed.” Ruari shrugged.  
“And where are _you_ sleeping.”  
“My bed.” She repeated.  
“What type of a relationship do you and Jason _have_?” Jason gave him a smirk and stated,  
“On and off friends with benefits.”  
~*~*~*~*~*~Several Years Earlier~*~*~*~*~*~  
 _I’ve been here for the past week and still nothing on why those group of gangsters keep coming around._ Jason thought as he smiled at the crowd and ripped off his pants. Girls screamed in excitement as he strutted around and had cash shoved into his underwear.  
 _Gotta admit, this is the best paying undercover job I’ve had._ He thought.  
He finished the show and was backstage, getting changed into some normal clothes. Most of the other strippers had already headed home.  
While he got changed, he listened to a device he had placed on one of the tables where he knew the group of men sat.  
 _“She has to be one of the strippers.”_  
 _“Which one. There are tons of strippers here.”_  
 _“We already have some men outside watching each stripper that leaves the club. It will be easy to tell who she is without any of her makeup and once they catch her, they’ll radio in to us.”_  
 _So they’re looking for someone._ Jason thought. “So it looks like I gotta find me a stripper.” He mumbled just as he looked up and saw a girl walking quickly through the back hallway while taking off a purple wig.  
“Where’re you heading?” Jason questioned, blocking her path. He eyed her, noticing sweaty brown hair under the wig and he also noticed her nervous demeanor. _Most strippers don’t wear wigs. And she looks spooked. She’s probably the one those men are after._  
Instead of answering, the girl wound her fist back and her boney knuckles connected with Jason’s eye.  
“Ow.” He mumbled, but caught the girl’s wrist when she wound back to punch him a second time. Her eyes widened in fear, but she quickly glared at Jason. She was trying to act tough in front of him despite the fact she was terrified.  
“Let me go!” she exclaimed as she started to struggle.  
“Calm down. I’m here to help.” Jason stated, but the girl looked at him with distrust.  
“Who the hell are you?” she questioned, still trying to pull away from him.  
“Stripper extraordinaire Bullwhip Bob.” Jason grinned. “I take it that those group of guys who’ve been sitting at the back table and tip terribly have been trying to track you down. Dunno why, but they don’t look too friendly. I can help.”  
The girl cocked her head to the side.  
“How?” she had stopped struggling and Jason let go of her wrist. She didn’t run, but it was clear that if tried anything sudden, she was ready to make a run for it.  
“Well, I happen to know that they plan to jump you when you walk outside.” Jason shrugged. “So, I have a plan, if you’re willing to trust me.”  
The girl was silent for a moment, eyeing Jason with uncertainty and it was clear she was weighing her options in her mind. However, she sighed and nodded. She didn’t have many options to weigh and the one Jason was offering was better than getting caught.  
“Alright. What’s your plan Bullwhip?” she inquired, and Jason grinned.  
“It’ll involve some makeup. What’s your name, anyway?” the girl smirked up at him.  
“Journey.”  
 _Great. Two Strippers. Bullwhip Bob and Journey. We could make a good sitcom._ Jason thought as he started handing Journey some of his clothes when he dressed as a lumberjack for the crowd. He helped her into the flannel shirt and some tight jeans that were a tad loose on the girl. He then pulled out a short blond wig and helped the girl get her long curly brown hair in it.  
“You work fast. Have you been in the theater? Like a quick change person?” Journey inquired.  
“It’d probably pay better than this.” Jason chuckled, “it certainly would be more respectable.” Then looked at Journey with a grin. “Great. You look like a feminine dude, which should be enough to fool the men. We’re gonna walk out of here holding hands and acting all lovey dovey.”  
“So we’re just supposed to look like two gay guys?”  
“That’s the plan.” Journey smirked at him and Jason raised an eyebrow.  
“I got something in mind even more foolproof.” She smiled as her green eyes locked onto his blue ones.  
“What do you have in mind?” Jason questioned, but couldn’t hide his smile.  
~*~*~*~*~Later~*~*~*~*~  
The men were waiting outside when out of the club staggered what appeared to be two men who were passionately making out.  
“That’s disgusting.” Grunted one of the men. Jason pulled away from the kiss as he simultaneously hugged Journey closer to his body, making her face harder to see.  
“Nobody asked you.” Jason scowled at the men, then turned to look at Journey. “C’mon, Josh.” he pulled Journey with him while giving the group the finger as he started making out with the girl again.  
Once out of sight of the men, Jason broke away from the kiss and smirked at Journey.  
“Gotta say, making out was a pretty good idea. It made the situation seem very real.” Jason smiled. “It wasn’t that bad either.”  
“Why thank you.” The girl smirked. “You weren’t so bad yourself. Though I’ve had better.”  
“Better rescues?”  
“better kisses.” Journey chuckled. “But thanks for that. I owe you.”  
“You owe me.” Jason repeated, chuckling as he steered Journey towards the apartment he was staying at. “How about I show you how good I can kiss at my apartment. I promise you, I don’t disappoint.”  
“How could I turn down that kind of offer.” Journey smirked, then walked into the apartment building with Jason.


End file.
